NEW ORLEANS  It didn’t count, except to tell them where they need to get better and where they might be pretty good.

So the Chargers left the Superdome and their matchup with the defending Super Bowl champions feeling as if they had accomplished their preseason goal of getting better each week.

“The first half, we played the best we’ve played to this point in the preseason,” Norv Turner said.

Dropped passes early, a couple defensive breakdowns throughout and an ineffective second-team offense led to the Saints beating the Chargers 36-21 in the third preseason game for both teams.

“By the way,” tight end Antonio Gates said, “that was a very good team we played.”

The Saints led 17-14 when both teams began substituting liberally in the third quarter.

Throughout, there were big gains and dropped passes. There was good coverage and some that was less than effective. There was pressure here and there but not enough against an excellent offense that was trying.

“There were so many positives we can take from it,” said Gates, who had five catches for 66 yards. “We dropped some passes, we could have made some more plays.”

Two plays – one on offense, one on defense -- might have been the difference in the Chargers’ starters between the Chargers starters being able to claim victory and them knowing they didn’t capitalize.

The second was a pass off wide-open tight end Kris Wilson’s hands that would have gone for a gigantic gain across midfield in the second quarter.

The first was what appeared could have been an Antoine Cason interception that ended up a 46-yard touchdown reception by Devery Henderson that tied the game 7-7 late in the first quarter. The ball sailed through Cason’s hands, off his shoulder pads and into the hands of Henderson in the end zone.

“That (overshadowed) the rest of the game for me,” Cason said. “I’m upset with myself. I know I have pretty good ball skills.”

Still, one answer the Chargers will take into the season is that Cason can handle taking over at right cornerback. Saints quarterback Drew Brees repeatedly went after Cason, who had three passes defensed and played consistently in coverage.

“I came out with the mindset to get better every week,” Cason said. “I am so confident in what I can do. I feel I’ve been getting better.”

While they would struggle with some blocks and have Rivers hit some the game wore on, the Chargers opened the game looking season-ready and no worse for not having the Pro Bowl left tackle and wide receiver who they will begin and perhaps go through the season without.

Rivers completed five of his six passes for 44 yards, Ryan Mathews ran five times for 32 yards. Jacob Hester followed left tackle Brandyn Dombrowski into the end zone from six yards out.

“That first drive is about as good as it gets,” Rivers said. “We didn’t capitalize on some other things.”

Ryan Mathews was hit harder, more often and more effectively than in his first two exhibitions. Still, the rookie gained 43 yards on 13 carries.